Windows 10: The Best Hidden Features, Tips, and Tricks

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Microsoft marked a turning point for Windows 10 with the Creators Update; while there were no earth-shattering upgrades included, it’s feeling much more like a mature OS version, particularly with its new privacy controls, Game Mode, and upgraded Edge browser.

Let’s take a look at some of the best hidden features, tips, and tricks in the operating system. Windows 10 combines the best of Windows 8 — super-fast startup, improved security — with much of what made Windows 7 familiar and easy to use, and without trying to force you to buy a touch screen or learn a whole set of hidden UI gestures. The Creators Update only makes it that much sweeter.

And if you’re a computer nut like me, tweaking the OS is always the fun part. Discovering and implementing power user tips are my favorite part of getting a major new version of an OS. I still remember back when DOS 5.0 came out, and I was running DOS 3.3, and I got to try all these new things to optimize my 286. And when I upgraded from Windows/286 to Windows 3.0, I felt like my life had changed. (We’ve come a long way.) Nostalgia aside, here’s what you need to know to amp up your Windows 10 install and take it to the next level.

Tagged In

I still don’t like how settings are changes. Just put everything in control panel. Having two different UIs to change computer settings is just messy.

HerveS94

lol you are those people that will get ignored you know

VirtualMark

I agree. I’d rather have just one control panel that does everything.

Kai

The old control panel is ugly, small controls (i.e. on huge DPI screens) and no touch support. Also many of the old control panel dialogs cannot be resized, etc. I’d love to ditch the old control panel and replace it with something webified, simple, like Chrome settings, with resizing, touch, high DPI support and all in one place with a nice search.

jimv1983

I’m not saying the control panel couldn’t use a little bit of improvement but the Metro like UI that is used for “PC Settings” is terrible. Because things are so big it requires more steps to get to where you want to go.

junkydude

I totally agree. It’s such a hassle to have to find the page to make simple changes. Just put it all in the Control Panel.

Adam Anon

Agree too, I find the new PC Settings awful.

Turo Orvel

The old messy control panel needs to go. I don’t think anyone ever have thought that it’s a perfectly good solution.

jimv1983

The control panel is still much better than the “PC Settings” Metro crap.

reallydude?

They are migrating from control panel to PC Settings. It is just incomplete in the tech preview.

jimv1983

Well that sucks. The “PC Settings” UI is terrible.

Brian

Deff an improvement

dd101

Not much of a hidden features.
You’d better compare Win10 vs Win8 and Win7 performance wise!
How many RAM it uses. Who’s got a better battery life. Etc.

jdwii

I did that actually and i found little to no changes in performance in fritz chess-Cinebench-Wprime.(fx 8350+770+16GB of ram on a sabertooth board)
I did not do gaming benchmarks but i played a couple games so far and its good.
However CPU-Z isn’t working all the way for some reason.
Also on idle my PC uses 900mb of ram open chrome and it jumps to 2GB of ram.

We seen barley any change in benchmark scores, Although hard drive performance was better in all benchmarks.

Seems to be more Feature based OS, But as a TP i’m sure performance is not a main concern at this stage.

Damon

same here but i really didnt notice disk performance changes. Running it on a server board with 2x Xeon x5680 3.33Ghz hex-cores and 72GB ECC ram and it is quite happy as well as an older 2600k with 8GB ram, both with GTX 680’s on 344 as well. i have some pretty obscure hardware and so far it has picked everything up on server and desktop hardware on its own completely automatically, including, surprisingly, the maintenance software suite for my Canon Pixma Pro-100 printer. The drivers, sure, but to find, download, and install the maintenance suite all on its own was a rather nice suprise.

jdwii

It seems like if it worked on 8.1 driver wise it will work find on 10 i installed the nvidia drivers for 8.1 and it worked great.

Damon

I didn’t try any of the server hardware with windows 8.x. I beta tested it and pretty well hated the new UI even though i liked the speed. I didn’t really even care for it on the Surface Pro tablets and they were pretty well built specifically to show off WIn8. Nvidia was the only driver i had to install out of everything on both machines i have it running on, and so far, i think Win10 has potential.

jdwii

Yes i didn’t care for the UI either i used 8.1 but skipped 8, 10 however i will recommend

jdwii

yeah its already really good and i’m sure directx 12 will be the main thing they advertise for that i didn’t do any benchmarks on my ssd but its nice to see things improved a little on that end.

dd101

Thanks for EXP sharing! I’m more interested in low-end PC (2Gb) performance, as Win8 was even less RAM hungry than well-put Win7. There is a worry that Win10 could change “on diet” tendency with new and “work in progress” stuff it has within.

You could always resize the taskbar… certainly on Win 8 and probably on Win 7. Of course, it has to be unlocked. Worthless as that functionality is. As for resizing the Start menu that doesn’t work for me on a laptop if the Task Bar is vertical. Works if it’s on the bottom though. I submitted a feedback. May have to do with size of the laptop’s screen.

Cool, good to know about resizing in Windows 8. And yeah, definitely works on the vertical too — on my desktop at least.

Senne Kuyl

Pretty sure I could resize the task bar in XP…

I can confirm that you can resize in Win7 which I use at work. I have the task bar vertically on the left to maximise the vertical foot print. But resizing the start menu is great. Can you change ends For instance I’d like to reverse the taskbar so the start button is back down in the bottom left of the screen, the clock etc all up the top left. Is that possible?

Andrew Rosca

To add folders to Favorites: navigate to the folder in question -> right-click on Favorites -> Add current location to Favorites

I don’t understand why Microsoft didn’t implement a Send To or other context menu option for Favorites. The way it is now (has been since Vista) is very counter-intuitive

Danmansonman

You can’t just drag folders onto favourites like in 7/8?

Andrew Rosca

You’re right, that works too :-)

Rartemass

Most of this I’d want to turn off. That Windows Explorer home screen looks horrid from my perspective. I just want the drives I have configured displayed. I’d want to set a single location as default and navigate from there. I have two drive letters mapped to two locations on my NAS and two partitions on the PC HDD, along with a second HDD in the PC. I’d rather see all drives on the Home screen by default. Hopefully this is something I can configure. I’d also want a source pane and destination pane so I can drag an drop when copying files in the one window instead of needing two windows open.
Those notifications look amazingly annoying. They’d get in the way when working.

While this may be good for updating in a business I am uninspired to upgrade my home system and re-install all apps and apply my settings.

meddle0ne

I was disappointed to find that you can’t empty the recycling bin while it’s pinned to the task bar.

Like I said in my edit, it turns out it did delete the folder I tested with. It is just that it was not until the closed and re-opened Explorer that I that Explorer updated to show that it was deleted.

I will be, I don’t fancy reinstalling all my software, and there’s no compelling reason to upgrade so far. Minor GUI improvements that should have been included in 8.2, just re-branded as a whole new OS. In fact, such a new OS that it warrants jumping from 8 to 10 lol.

Geers Tyresoil

Sorta like Vista to Windows 7 imho

VirtualMark

Yeah I know what you mean. A broken version, then the fix comes as a new version.

Jerk Face

Agreed. I should have stuck with XP, but progress (if that’s what you want to call it) happens all the time…not always a good thing though.

“Toasts” has wormed it’s way beyond android, if it even started there. UI/UX designers, by trade or not, use it all the time, and it drives me bonkers. Just say pop-up. One lady I had to deal with kept using “growl” as a shorthand for pop-up notification. Apparently there’s an application on the mac by that name that performed the same function before it got baked into Mac OS X notifications.

Matt Foot

I think “notifications” is the proper term, sans ambiguity. Anyone outside the geeky world of Android, wouldn’t necessarily have any idea what a “Toast” was, but a notification? I think they’d work that out :-)

CageySea

Microsoft used the term “toasts” for pop-up notifications long before Android even existed. Microsoft Outlook 2003 documentation referred to its “new message” notifications that faded onto the desktop and off again as toasts.

philconl

They probably clinked and chugged and congratulated each other every time they accomplished interrupting the user again with the annoyance in order that the craptastic experience could continue.
Thus as truly disturbed tyrants, “toasts” became appropriate.

XenoSilvano

It is more like a pop-in because it comes in from the side.

christianh

So they put Aero on the Alt-Tab view but not the windows…? Just don’t get it…

Don’t worry. That junk site will be down once @disqus_ho59wX2Rz9:disqus’s momma stops paying the GoDaddy bill.

I clicked around it, and don’t see one useful or interesting thing anywhere. maybe time to hang up the blogger hat Vaibhav.

YoDaNaSoDa

Your site sucks.

danginin

So,does it really running on ARM tablet and phone, like they promised?

Mman

Very nice but, can I customize the BSD too? with cat backgrounds, flowers and music? <- Check this idea for free Microsoft

Jerk Face

How about re-enabling the awesome search feature of days past???

You know….before Windows 7….when you didn’t have to try to index an entire server if you wanted to search through documents on that server for a particular phrase??

Robert W. Burnham

Just one place to tinker with settings would be nice.

Decimal

“You can finally put the Recycle Bin on the taskbar”
So? I just want to be able to remove the damn thing from my desktop. The only way this can be done in the past some-odd versions of windows was through regedit. I don’t want the bin to pop up in more places. I want it in fewer.

dan_ofRI

Just found a setting in Windows 10 that allows removing Recycle Bin from the desktop. Go to Personalization settings and click on the link to the left “Change desktop icons”. You can manage your settings here. In fact you can do this on Windows 7 as well.

Decimal

Ha! Thanks! I knew I saw this option somewhere on my old desktop when Win7 first launched. But since then I’ve gone through a multitude of computers with varying OS’s and just somehow lost track of that option. Thanks again!

Ryan

Heck, in Vista, you could just right click the Recycling Bin, and click Delete from the context menu. In Windows 7 and 8.x, it’s gone (obviously because non-techies complained when they thought that “Delete” command meant “Empty Recycling Bin”
Windows XP and lower also didn’t have such option to delete the recycling bin from right click context menu either.

dan_ofRI

I found that dragging a title bar to the corners would allow snapping to four different quadrants.
I know that on Windows 7 it only snaps to the left and right sides. I like this feature because I find myself frequently comparing similar files, and sometimes I want more than two to view simultaneously.

Wierd0n3

I love the file transfer window. the graph and speed meter actually told me of a issue i was having because the driver windows 10 downloaded for my intel 3160ac. ( it loaded a Driver that, while it worked, had a lot of lag and maxed out at 4-5MB/s. digging a little bit, I found out it only supported G speeds, I ended up loading my 7/8 driver package and manually choosing it. (windows wanted to prefer the older driver))

AwesomeWave

So frequent folders will now show your pr0n folder?

GoellerH

I am one who uses and like the charms menu. I would like it to be easier to access (but not make keyboarders unhappy) on keyboard/mouse configs. The click in the upper right corner does not work on my installation.
I see lots of good info here and not much snarkeyness. A pleasure to participate.

dalepres

Cortana sounds an awful lot like Microsoft Bob 2.0

Neos

is a mess

Schorsch

I STILL see Metro and tiles in your screen-shots. I hate them. I don’t want to see any metro parts nor tiles nor “apps” on my desktop PC. I configured my Win8.1 so I never see metro and I also don’t run “apps” neither have an interest in them. I thought they improved 10 and did away with the worst things of 8, and tiles/metro and “apps” is among those things. (Those are elements which make sense on tablets, not for desktop PCs) So obviously MS still has problems acknowledging what desktop PC users want and need seeing your review.

Japaja

You can just right click unpin or right click uninstall those metro apps and tiles.

Another very nifty thing you can do is right click the start button for a very useful menu of some of the most used system programs. Such as the control panel and device manager task manager and so on. Definitely love that.

Roman Schlaepfer

That was in W8 as well :-)

Christopher Alan VanOstrand

Well I was just mentioning it because I really like it. And for a good amount of people who came from windows 7 to windows 10 might not know about it. A very nice addition coming from 7.

better yet, pres “WIN + X”… same as right clicking the START button. For those not in the know :)

Gary Mcscary

ok so when is this article gonna talk about the “hidden” features

Jose Salce

They’re so hidden we cannot even read them.

WhoHasMyChange

We can only tell you about them if you know the secret handshake.

Richard “Raptorian” C.

Is it the paddycake one? I forgot the handshake!

eb

If the article talks about them, they would not be hidden, right?

meinungsluxus

That is hidden from you.

RH

I have a VM I run on my laptop & home PC. I use it for beta builds etc.
I’m guessing this virtual desktop thingy doesn’t quite work like a VM keeping it in protective memory so it can’t infect the home OS like a VNM can?

Void Presence

virtual desktops have nothing to do with VM’s, they’re additional screens that you can swap out to to have more screen real-estate than your monitor(s) support.

N1TE3YE

I’m gonna LOVE the Virtual Desktops feature. I’ve got 45+ games, and I don’t want it in a folder, or in a toolbar thingy on my taskbar. I want it somewhere easier to access at my fingertips. Creating a Virtual Desktop for my PC game catalog is music to my ears. Beautiful.

ReverendoSticatzi

You’re doing it wrong.

nestoribio1

Virtual Desktops are normal on Linux since ever, but few know that it have been virtual desktops or workspaces for a long time on Windows. If my memory does not betray me, it was since W98 that are software for that on Windows. I think that the last one I have seen have been on own Microsoft website. The only change is that workspaces are now part of W10, adding more bloat to those who will not use use those features.

And to the crowd: Stop listening to fools that thinks that boot time have been improved on Windows10. Restart and measure the real bootup time and compare. W10 and W8 normally boot to a modified hibernation that MS calls “fast boot”. Also “fast boot” disables all POST checks. Question is: Is that good or is it the best and safest way?
If you install another OS, so you have a multiboot machine, then you may have to disable some or all those mods…

John B.

Two different beasts, so to speak. The virtual desktop(s) are simply work spaces that you can switch between. For instance if you have a couple of different projects you’re working on, you could set up one project on one virtual desktop, the other project on another, then switch between them as needed. Same idea that Linux has had for years. The virtual machine, you’re familiar with, that it’s like having separate computers running on one physical machine. Each has its purpose, the virtual desktop being potentially more useful for everyday users and business users.

ja_1410

I like the “start menu being huge improvement over W8”. One more Windows update and we will have W7 menu back !!!

Mark

No libraries on the start menu sadly, and they probably won’t be added as the feature has been deprecated :-(

jennix

i really liked the libraries too. And Aero-flip. wtf is wrong with MS? The better a feature is the more likely it is to get taken out, but true “designed in bugs” like the-Navigation-Pane-in-Explorer-always-scrolls-back-to-the-current-folder-as-soon-as-the-mouse-enters-that-pane-in-spite-of-the-fact-that-i-just-scrolled-away-from-that-folder-to-select-another have been uncorrected since windows95!

RS Rapp

Does Windows 10, allow snapping to the top or bottom half of the screen? This would be really helpful when monitors are in portrait mode.

John B.

I know it has snap screen though the only time I tried it (accidentally) it snapped the program I was using to the right half of the screen. Hopefully someone else can give more info as to whether/not it can snap to top/bottom.

Natan

Not sure if this is what you’re looking for but try windows key+down arrow

brunnegd

Glad to hear it is easy to get rid of the f**king tiles.

John B.

Tiles are not gone but you don’t have the separate “Start Screen” menu as before. Tiles can be added and deleted to the Start menu as desired, sized as desired, you can turn ‘live tiles’ on and off, and Windows apps work as windows opened on your desktop, not full screen as was the case in the Win 8/8.1 fiasco. I actually kind of like the tiles now.

Whitebuck

After setting up a Windows 10 machine for myself, I can objectively opine that Windows is primitive, aesthetically juvenile and has a shockingly convoluted and illogical User interface. I am still trying to figure out what makes Microsoft and Windows users believe their OS, has practical or monetary worth. It is better than Vista, which was the last Windows OS I used. But it’s a sad statement that KDE desktop blows away Windows 10 and it’s free! Then there’s the available “programs” applications which are also unnecessarily convoluted an grossly inadequate and inferior to OS X proprietary and third party applications. If it were not free via the Insider Program, I damn sure would not purchase Windows OS. For those who dislike OS X for what ever reason, I would recommend Kubuntu, before I would any Windows iteration. Microsoft pricing on Windows and Office is atrociously rapacious and concerning Windows Home, it is absolutely void of any worth. I set my Windows 10 machine up with all the best equivalents to my OS X proprietary and third party applications and the Windows 10 machine is archaic in comparison. Trust me, if any Windows user ever set up an OS X machine and used it, they would never willingly purchase and use a Windows machine, unless they were strictly a Gamer. I offer this observation absolutely detesting Apple Corporation. But, in today’s none choice society, or the illusion of choice. I chose Apples OS for my daily driver. For it is the lesser of the evils between Microsoft and Apple, it has the most practical functionality, it is the most aesthetically pleasing and has the most intuitive user interface. When compared to the other available Operating Systems. Live and let live!

P.S. -even Firefox is dramatically more aesthetically pleasing and intuitively functional in OS X, than in the archaic Windows!

Richard Staller

I also use Linux Mint and actually prefer the Windows 10 interface and that’s after hating Windows 8. Somehow, somewhere I know there must be some use for those stupid live tiles!

Vice Squeezer

haven’t tried firefox yet.. nice to know

Geek0id

Because people want a computer they can do something on?

Also, you clearly haven’t actually used windows 10. Kicks OSX’s ass. note: My other computer is a Mac, and my home server is Linux. I do far too many entertainment things on Windows then I can on linux.

Your just a hater, dude! Too lazy to learn something new…or maybe incapable to do it. It’s not so easy when you have one…and last neuron to use. Poor you….

Rock Parker

Did you know windows 10 works better on a mac than os X

Kai

This is all opinion, please don’t operate it such as fact. I have 3 computers in my computer room myself. Each running the big OS’s, respectively. OSX, Linux (that can dual boot with BSD), and Windows 10…that I currently have setup to do virtual OS’s from 98, XP, and 7.) Although 8 was a huge let down for Windows, do not think in anyway that OS X is better. It’s uniformed and disorganized. In their ultimate goal of being different, they’ve basically just did the complete opposite of Windows. Now, I do admit that Mac has it’s advantages. I love the details I can fully get into on my Mac vs my Windows pc when I’m drawing something. Mac has always been superior for video editing and the like. However, for super user friendly, it has lagged behind. The last one I could say was better at the time was OS 8…and that’s been gone for a long time.

It’s funny how you mention the pricing to be so outlandish. OS X might be cheap now, but let’s rollback to OS 8. 100 bucks at release. Furthermore, if you’re really a die hard Apple fan, you won’t run OS X on a pc…but on a Mac. Makes sense. Apple list their current base model iMac at 1,099 dollar. These specs are a 1.4 ghz dual core (laughable nowadays), 500 GB storage, 8GB memory, and all integrated into a very slim, heavy, and bulky 21.5 inch screen.

Now, my current setup and it isn’t top of the line either. 750 watt power supply, Radeon HD 7870, 16GB Ram, 4 hard drives (Combined 2,070 GB), quad-core AMD Phenom 2 X4 965 Processor (3.4 ghz processor), and 2 monitors, 1 19inch, other 23 inch. Built about 5 years ago. Price at the time around 600 dollars. Adding in the upgrades (a little bit more ram, the better video card, and had to get a new monitor) still ranging at around 900 dollars. Last upgrade over a year ago. So, that being said, Mac is overpriced and relatively stinks for what it can do and offer.

Linux/BSD is a whole other ball park. Not user friendly at all (not meant to be), not pleasing to the eye on looks, and very VERY incompatible with almost any other program out there without having to run WINE. WINE in itself broken and bugged half the time for either OS.

So, even though I’m not a Windows bandwagon fan. Having skipped 8 because it was atrocious. Only getting 10 because it was a free upgrade (even beats the 20 dollar OS X cost.) And still giving it some time from the initial release date to read reviews and see how things are coming along in it. Windows is still the top OS. However, for people that like incredibly simple to use, that requires no thought, and can afford the initial cost and repair cost of their machines…may want to go ahead and use the now defunct OS X. Apple is slowly digging their grave even deeper, especially since Jobs has passed away, and proven several times over that their new leadership board and ideas are a further waste of time then staring at the side of a wall.

Whitebuck

Your another pretender, who is off base, out of context with interspersed statements of correct and incorrect information.
A blatantly obvious Windows troll, pretending to be otherwise. You pseudo techie trolls are amusing and rather long winded. Opinion?

Kai

haha, call it what you will. Not a pretender, just from my own personal opinion. You attack my post, I respectively told you that yours was just an opinion, but yet you go upon it as fact. So, just step down off that self righteous soap box of yours and take a look. Try and validate yourself all you want but facts don’t lie. Just look up OS statistics and get back with me.

Furthermore, w3schools (where I aquired this particular bit of information) goes back as far as 2003 where WinXP and W2000 dominated, leaving Mac 2.2% by the end of the year. It is true that from then on, Mac has risen every year…if even only 1%…but leveled out towards the end of 2013 with only about 10%. Still only around 10% by June of this year. Hm.

So, breath in your denial all you want. Mac is a dying OS and only people (generally) that think they are superior to others in the OS world or have the money to throw away purchase Mac or OSX. Oh, and don’t get your feelings too hurt. I can tell that this is a personal matter for you.

typical Mac user, you think that it is superior purely because it costs more. You are an elitist for a crap computer/operating system. And besides, you can’t have a go at people who genuinely build their own computers, calling them pseudo… The most building you may do for a Mac is point and click on their website. Continue to live your sheltered, restricted, elitist life without bothering the rest of us who can physically build a computer.

Giancarlo Buonamici

Dont think I should be listening to someone for computer info that has a confederate flag. There typically not the most “forward” thinking people

Whitebuck

Simple mind, I see, who wouldn’t know “forward thinking” if it slapped them between the eyes. Just keep watching TV and they’ll keep thinking for you. Saving your simple mind from any taxing or discerning thought. Which may, heaven forbid, consist of facts and truth. Ciao, little buddy!

Kwuarter

They’re*

Alas ironically mentioning ignorance. What a twist!

Richard “Raptorian” C.

Dun dun dun!!!

Hsialin

Petty much?

Hsialin

You sound racist my friend.

ITBLADE

Linux and OS X sound nice on paper until you realize that you want to actually do meaningful things on your computer. Whether you like it or not, Microsoft is king. If I have the choice between being a “special OS snowflake” and being productive with my computer, I will chose being productive every time.

Orion4tech

Those are a lot of huge exaggerations.
Used OSX a lot and I don’t find it co incredibly special especially in comparison to Windows 10.
Firefox dramatically more pleasing aesthetically? Yeah right. I never felt the need to make the Windows Firefox look like the OSX version. I just don’t see those dramatically more pleasing aesthetics and I set up Firefox the way I wanted, you know you can arrange most buttons?

Why would somebody use Linux? It has limited Hardware and software support.
Even OSX is inferior to Windows in this regard.

The Iceman Cometh

This makes me laugh, I’d love to see the look on your face when (if) you wake up and realize the world doesn’t revolve around you.

Leo

I have used both linux and windows for nearly a decade and I have to say this is the best version of windows ever made. It finally competes with Linux builds in versatility and beauty, while have far better compatibility to mainstream applications. Win 10 looks almost exactly like I had my Linux box set up 7-8 years ago and I could be happier with it.

Firefox looks better on OSX? You do realize it takes themes and you can make it look any way you want. Personal I think OSX is the more dated OS, with cartoonish bouncing icons at the bottom, lack of a right click and commands hidden in menu trees. OSX hasn’t changed much in 5 years, microsoft on the other hand has continued to innovate. The constraints Apple imposes on the consumer are far to restrictive. Linux has no restriction but lacks software. Windows 10 is the best of both worlds there is no denying it.

RCW

Based on that 2nd screenshot, it looks like someone really needs a tip about how get all that clutter off his desktop. 40+ desktop icons… tsk tsk.

Geek0id

Based on that post, it looks like someone really needs a tip on how to mind there own business. Telling other people how to use their computer tsk..tsk..

Natan

I have hundreds of icons on my desktop at times. I think. It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen my desktop (I use winkey+ search or my taskbar exclusively to launch programs)

Richard Staller

And you can use God Mode just like Windows 7 & 8 to navigate the new menus.

Tim

So far I like Windows 10 however I find Cortana to be as useful as a blind man on a hockey team.

Someone more skilled than I needs to create a commands list that allows Cortana to search hard drives and open files on other drives.

for example in my case:

Hey Cortana. Access Drive F and open one piece episode 21.

So far if you mention anything related to a hard drive Cortana pops up Disk Defragmenter…. Kind of annoying in its stupidity.

Matt Menezes

I just want to upgrade my i7-930 @ 3.8ghz with a Xeon X5680 for $160 on Amazon and overclock that from 3.33ghz to like 3.8-4ghz and gain 2 cores. I boot to an SSD connected to a SATA3 controller, I have USB3, I have 12GB DDR3 in triple channel, and my GPU is a Geforce 970 with factory OC.

I just don’t want to invest in a new platform when I fell like my x58 is doing just fine. I will have to eventually, though, and Skylake just might be the one so I can move to M.2 for the SSD…

Vice Squeezer

just got ten couple hours ago.. pretty cool package

Skeeter

After having fully embraced 8.1, even with some of the clunky features, I have to say I’m disappointed with 10. It really feels like taking a step or so backwards… especially considering how they handicapped onedrive to placate dumb people. Lol. Edge is almost a joke with its limited features. It is rather difficult to pin website shortcuts to the start menu and when you do, you are forced to do so with the edge browser, for example.

I am really blown away by the number of features that they removed in Windows 10… such as gesturing left and right to navigate through windows or a real tablet mode. The Start menu is significantly less flexible. The built-in mail barely works, especially if you have more than one email account.

I am the first to admit that 8.1 had issues. However, I really liked that they were beginning to think about a touch based and gesturing system, which is awesome for tablets such as Microsoft Surface. 8.1 was a touch based operating system with mouse and keyboard capabilities. Windows 10, on the other hand, is a mouse and keyboard operating system with remnants of a touch base system. Subtle but important difference. Honestly, I had expected to see a high quality hybrid of both in Windows 10. Instead we basically got windows 7.5. I really don’t think that Windows 10 was ready for market.

Personally I think it is a telltale sign that every app in Windows 10 comes equipped with a complaint button where you can tell Microsoft why it is bad and how they could improve it. :-)

Fabio Nunes

I don’t know which surface tablet you have, but there are 2 things that you should know. 1st – any surface tablet that runs Windows RT will not get windows 10 release. Instead they get a separate update with some windows 10 features. I believe Microsoft is effectively killing it’s RT versions. 2nd – Windows Surface 3 and Pro 3 are not “Tablets”, Microsoft even promotes them as a Laptop replacement, so instead they shipped them with the Full windows. So your experience with it will be different from other Windows tablets, that will run Windows 10 in Tablet mode, instead of Full Windows 10, like a Laptop and Desktop have.
For Desktop/Laptop users, windows 10 gestures were awful, it was only useful for tablets, so if they removed it from the Full Windows 10, THANK GOD.

With that said, I do not own a Tablet, and I will not be upgrading my Desktop PC (from windows 7) to Windows 10 for, at least, another 6 months.

Skeeter

I actually have three different computers — a full desktop that was running Win7, a Dell XPS 18 (which is a light weight all-in-one and acts much like a very large tablet), and a Surface Pro 3. Yes, the Surface was very much a laptop replacement…..especially before OneDrive was crippled recently.

I consider the Surface (especially when no keyboard is attached) to be tablet-ish. Such definitions are a bit fuzzy. In general, tablets are small, very light weight, can be easily operated without mouse and keyboard, etc. The OS doesn’t determine if it’s a tablet.

Whatever the case, the beauty of the gestures for 8.1 is that you simply don’t have to use them if you don’t like them. I’m very old school regarding computers and it took some very conscious time to transition to a gesturing platform…..but I learn not only how to do it, but how to do it efficiently. No one made people use gestures….but I found them extremely helpful in some situations…..even on my Dell hybrid at my desk. The problem was that the features were simply removed. These features could’ve remained without issue.

Although the removal of gestures was a bit annoying for me personally, it was the crippling of OneDrive which really hurt. I have a 500gb harddrive and 1terabyte of data on OneDrive (with 10 terabyte capacity). The moment I upgraded, OneDrive became useless to me…..and I really depended on it.

More and more, I’m really wondering the point of the release of Win10. Why was it free anyway? Several have asked that…and it’s a great question. From my perspective, Win10 seems to be designed specifically to create easier access to the MS Store. In a fresh install, the start menu is filled with all kinds of ways to pay them more money. Win 10 is a monetization engine. For the first time in 25 years with computers, I’m really thinking Apple may be in my future.

Nunya Biz

To have all of your Windows 10 settings together in 1 place:

Create a folder & name it ==>
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

You can change/(re)name the “GodMode” part of that anything you want; For example Random.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} (don’t forget the “.” after the name you give it or it won’t work)

GneeChee

This has got to be the best information I’ve ever seen posted anywhere.

Period.

Major Kudos!

steven

omg yes that was the best thing I did today besides upgrading from 8 to 10!!!!! thank you for now I have Spartan mode ^^

OMG!!! Where is my Media player? I want my Windows 7 back. I am old and not tech savvy. I thought I HAD to install W-10. Can anyone help me either get back to W-7 or find my Media player. Why isn’t it there? I thought this was an upgrade? When I ask for help I get a bunch of smart alecs wanting me to get a MAC. Please help.

GneeChee

Go to Start –> Update and Security–> Recovery …

From there you can revert back to W7. But you only have 1 month after installing W10 to do it.

Linda McGinley

Thank you. I will try it now and let you know what happens.

Linda McGinley

Dear GneeChee…thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am home again in Windows 7.

Thank you so much for your input. I returned to Windows. W-10 just has too many bells and whistles for my liking. Thanks so much for you assistance.

Whitebuck

Well, if you ever have a change of mind, you’ll have the information available. From what I’ve read many are staying with Windows 7. Good Luck and my pleasure!

Linda McGinley

To Whitebuck, Thanks for your input and assistance. I returned to Windows 7. Windows-10 has too many bells and whistles for me. I appreciate you takiing the time to respond to my outrage.

Whitebuck

We’ve all been there and it was my pleasure Linda!

Tom Aman

A bunch of useless stuff I’d never use

Nay Wangtal

For desktop Windows, I can finally click at a point and then drag it side to side to scroll within apps (at least it works with the screenshot pane in Store). Works much better than mousewheeling my way through 50-thousand things. (Would be even better if I can just use page-up/page-down to scroll by page at a time, stupid mobile-centric interface)

Question, maybe dumb question, but would I be able to play my old DOS games? The games I was not able to play with W8, since it’s a 64bit system. I know W10 is also 64bit, but hoping I could play the older games. I got Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein, and a bunch of games I would really like to play.

OniKyanAE86

Use DOSBox, has worked for me for over 12 years with no issues on 64Bit OS versions of Windows XP all the way up to Windows 10.

Tom Aman

XP was the best

Tom Aman

Win 10 wouldn’t play Call of Duty or Combat Flight Simulator, but Win 7 did. Once I went back to Win 7, they still wouldn’t play.

Iohihy Yjtmsnb

Hey, friends now you can upgrade to windows 10 with a cheap product key from http://www.lightonthekey.com easily to experience all the cool features of windows 10.

Richard “Raptorian” C.

Virus link? Oh, can mine come in red?
No, I am not clicking on the link.

ScottCA

I find Windows 10 to be a terrible downgrade from windows 8.1 for anyone who actually has a touch screen. I recommend not downloading it.
Regret installing Windows 10.

Steve

Resize the start menu to be full screen.

ScottCA

The full screen start menu is terrible compared to windows 8.1
The vertical scroll compared to horizontal is terrible.
The tile group size is terrible.
The colors are bland and terrible.
They removed the large desktop tile, which makes touch screen now very awkward.
Its a huge downgrade.

Tom Aman

Me too, that’s why I put Win 7 back on

ScottCA

I don’t understand why they didn’t leave the large touch screen mode the same as windows 8.1.
Windows 10 fells even worse than a beta test version of a program. And I don’t see the updates actually improving anything at all.

The Pool Man

Here’s an irony. I’m a lifelong Mac user that was forced to get my wife a PC laptop for her work. I tried Windows 8 on an Asus and returned the unit to Amazon as unusable — simply because of how terrible 8.1 was.

Understand — I didn’t need everything to be Mac-ish. I just needed to know I could turn my back on the unit and not have something weird happen. It was worse than some better Linux distros. Just awful. And so I waited for 10 with little hope.

It turns out ten is terrific. I’m using it on a different Asus — and all is well. Except that I completely resent the privacy telemetry horse-hockey. THAT IS — I’d consider switching all secondary computers/tablets to Windows IF Windows wasn’t being run by the NSA.

And so the irony is that Windows has FINALLY won this Mac user from the mid-80s to the ‘dark’ side. Sort of. I won’t be an actual fan until this privacy crap is resolved.

nice.. if you want many other guides like Turn off automatic updates, reset screenshot indexno, channge default location for Microft edge, Uninstall core apps and many more ..
then check out MyTechAlbum
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Caution. Upgrading a machine built around Vista or 7? Don’t risk a BIOS update using InsydeFlash after upgrading to 10 because you might brick the mb. If you really need to update the BIOS, do it while still running the original OS.

Paul

are you joking me what’s so secret or hidden about this formation?????

Domstruction

here is a cool thing: 1.right click desktop background 2. select new and then folder. 3. name the folder GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. Now you have a nifty GodMode Program [this is a secret thing you can only access by what i told you]

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I went from Win 7, to Win 10, used it for 6 days, didn’t like it, then went back to Win 7. I’ve been using Hotmail for years, which was linked to Win Live Mail, and goingback to Win 7 completely screwed up Win Live Mail. I did 2 separate “chats” with Microsoft techs, who said it could be fixed, but no, it couldn’t be fixed. “We support Win 7 until 2020, but not Win Live Mail”. I finally partially fixed it by doing a “repair” on Win Live Essentials. Everything worked perfectly on my Win 7 computer. The Win 10 screwed it up. Anybody know how to import all my folders from Win Live Mail into Hotmail? I can still sign into Hotmail, but it says its Outlook now. And finally “groove music” is a stupid name on Win 10. The word “groove” went out in the 70’s…..

Jake_Arr

How does Windows Explorer make copying a breeze? On this computer (an Acer Aspire all-in-one updated from Win8.1) I keep bumping into a little window that opens saying that I dont have permission to put the file there and wants to move up to the next higher folder. On and on. I can copy to the desktop, then move it to the desired folder after undergoing a couple additional prompts asking if I really want to do it. All in all Windows 10 is a pain in the azz compared to Win8 or Win7. All of the above also applies to my Dell Laptop that had Win7 Pro on it too.

On one of my Win7 desktops when I did the Win10 upgrade it disabled the built-in DVD drive and refused to recognize that it was installed. The drive re-appeared after I rolled back to Win7 on that computer.

Rock Parker

You forgot the part where if you keep your mouse in the top right corner for about 2-3 secs it tells you your CPU and RAM usage in percentage.

One thing i do not like is that with Windows 10, when I use my touchscreen, i cant find a setting to get rid of pointers. In the apps, it is a little tiny one when scrolling and for internet , i can sometimes get the mouse pointer or hand. No setting to remove them unless i set it to show visual feedback and i dont really want any of the stupid visual feedback.

I have also had great success with CCleaner. Uninstalling things through there works flawlessly and enabled me to get rid of all of the bloat that I wanted to.

Kobi

Ccleaner actually works for removing the those bloat apps?

bmwman91

It has for me. Right click, Uninstall! Did it not work for you?

Kobi

I wasn’t aware it could even do that. I have since I read it tested and dang good work by Piriform. Makes it a bit easier to get the crap apps away.

Mandark

You will also not be aware that it has messed up other stuff you are not currently using. NEVER use a registry cleaner, ever, for any reason. waste of time.

Kobi

What are you blabbering about? Who was talking about cleaning the registry? Removing Microsofts shitty apps (all of them are shitty, the end) was the topic.

Mandark

I have had great luck with CCleaner screwing up good Windows installers. THESE ARE ALWAYS A HORRIBLE solution. No stupid util can figure out what is needed and what isn’t, not reliably. Best way to fix windows? Reinstall for major messed up windows.

FORTRAN on punchcards for an IBM/360 in January 1978 was how I got my start. Batched up the cards with a rubber band, tossed them into the inbox, wait until the college kids on the other side of the big glass window picked them up, ran em, and returned the cards with the printout.

No monitor, no mouse. Heavy keyboard that required serious punch with every character.

We managed to “accidentally” wipe out the OS with an END OF ALL ENDS. card after an END. card when we finally found out about Pascal. We also found an EJECT instruction when, put in-between certain cards, would make the college kids play punchcard pick-up.

Bad old days. I was blown away when I first was presented with a monitor and keyboard UI for the PDP a few years later.

benmyers

I can top that with programming work on really old beasts like the IBM 1401, GE 225, Univac 1107 and Burroughs 220. Punched cards AND paper tape. Disk drives that were called pizza ovens, because that is what they looked like. Not too many MB of capacity either. The GE 225 originally had 8K of 20-bit(!!!) memory, then it got upgraded to 16K. Lots of programming in various assembly languages.

Craig Matthews

I started out in 1977 with punched cards going into an NCR 101 mainframe with 32k memory and 656 10mb disk drives using NEAT/3 assembler.

FreeSpeechOrKissThisMaude

Yay topper.

Dale Heller

Then, of course, there was the PDP 8 with punched paper tape and ksr 33 teletypes

abh555

the 8 was a classic. I started programming it using the toggle switches, and thought I had died & gone to heaven when I discovered paper tape. :)

Gino Tentori

Ja ja ja ….. I am NOT quite that old …. I did punch cards on a CDC 5000 in college ….. I do remember PAPER terminals …. I thought I died & gone to heaven when I used a unix terminal !!!!

dughx

did some 8080 embedded systems work in assy for my masters (mid-70’s) with punch cards cross-complied on an ibm 360, hex file downloaded to a teletype w/ paper tape punch … interfaced a spare paper tape reader, ran the tape into the 1k of memory on the target … still have the punch cards

Mr_Blastman

Oh, it has lots of hidden features! And most of them aren’t good…

Iva Haddit

Get a Mac and see how Apple fanboys have suffered. Don’t be fooled. Figure it out.

Mr_Blastman

I wouldn’t use a Mac, even if you gave me one for free.

BaronMatrix

It still sucks… That screenshot is a pic of an OS with no actual foundation…

I don’t know if it is considered a hidden tip but I’ve found that staying on Windows 7 is a great tip.

Iva Haddit

Right, Mr. 20th Century. Enjoy. It will be lonesome out there.

RKflorida

Thanks for the well wishes. I’m sure you will be have lots of friends and be in heavy fellowship with many people because you use Windows 10. However, you do need to get over your fear of being lonely.

FreeSpeechOrKissThisMaude

Right not upgrading the OS to satisfy your newer-therefore-it-must-be-better nonsense, well disputed in the comments here and on PCMag.com, and we’ll be stuck in the past.

Horsehockey from a MS shill.

Codrus

The GodMode folder thing didn’t work for me on Win10, just created a normal acting folder.

Did you name the folder “GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}” without the ” ” ? It worked for me on Win10.

Tom Rand

Win7 has god mode too!

Codrus

That worked. Thanks!

tomamitai

Windows Key-Right-Up (Moves app to top right quadrant)

On mine, with Windows 10 Home Anniversary 64bit, that key combination just maximizes the app window.

Tom Rand

If you keep pressing that combo you cycle through the options for it, what you should be doing is holding win key then hit up then right (or left, up, down)

Iva Haddit

I wish they would not use slideshow mdels all the time. Cumbersome and inefficient.

Chris

Oh yeah. How about showing everyone how to completely eliminate the need to use a password on my own **** computer?

Franpa

Easy, create a Local account on your PC instead of using a Microsoft Account to sign in. When installing Windows it will ask you to set up or enter the details of a Microsoft Account. There is a blatantly obvious teeny tiny plain text link that blends in to the setup programs background (Located in the bottom left corner) during this phase of the installation that will let you do this right from the get-go! (Note the sarcasm)

If Windows is already installed you can either:
1) Disassociate the Microsoft Account from your Computer and then use Control Panel > User Accounts to remove the password (More stuff may be required to make this approach work, it’s been a while and my memory is a little fuzzy on this)

When looking at “User Accounts” in Control Panel there is a link on the left for “Manage your credentials”, in this place you likely need to remove your Web Credentials (After dissociating your computer from your Microsoft Account) and then reboot.

or alternatively

2) Make a new account and make it a Local account without a password assigned to it. Log in to your PC with this account.

To make a new account go to Control Panel on your computer and then User Accounts.

Chris

Wow, I was being flippant because of what MS and frankly all of these companies do and assume you want things you do not want!

Thanks for telling me how to do this!

Franpa

When looking at “User Accounts” in Control Panel there is a link on the left for “Manage your credentials”, in this place you likely need to remove your Web Credentials (After dissociating your computer from your Microsoft Account) and then reboot.

Anyone knows how to stop it from downloading updates without my consent? It kills online gaming! I could do it before the anniversary update but it doesn’t work anymore… I like the notifications to be able to download them when I am not gaming, so I am not looking for a solution that kills Windows Update totally.

Thanks for all the info! But I think my games match-maker use those ports too. Also I set up the download window but since I don’t use Windows except for gaming it just downloads its updates when I am gaming… I think I must just boot into it some times to let it download its things the day before I plan to game… awful and unneeded :-(

Tom Rand

This is all more obvious steals from Linux land along with virtual desktops (workspaces in linux & apps can be assigned to run/startup in designated workspaces for extra productivity), wiggle windows to minimize all others, keyboard shortcuts to control window position/size, transparency, desktop/taskbar gadgets, 1 OS release with rolling updates, bash, UAC, taskbar embedded notifications I could go on but you get the idea.
Yet linux still somehow is not ready for mainstream usage even though M$ fanboys are happy to copy it’s features and most windows users suck it up like it’s new & fancy.
And no this did not come in MAC first mkay, it began in linux for free by the community, then stolen rebranded & marketed by apple so then M$ can nit pick the popular choices.

Tom Rand

Add to that the fact that every update since AU requires you blow out your alternate boot loader just to have the thing successfully update is beginning to become annoying to the point that I really am considering going back to Win7.

Win10 is becoming a reminder that M$ are failing miserably to resolve the golden key leak

clinton mckinney

SCREW WINDOWS 10 [and 8 too] I’m staying with 7 until
I die. Bill Gates can KISS MY ASS, and he can SHOVE
all his “spying”, “mandatory” apps. and “Microsoft accounts”
right up his sissy, little, Nancy-boy behind.

sicsemper

FYI Windows Telemetry updates have been retroactively applied to Windows 7 and 8 as well. Enjoy.

Mandark

I would never recommend God Mode. no need, and it could give users a way to mess up a good configuration. I keep mine clean. OS and MS Office. installs and don’t muck with it. It should run reliably for many years. If you do development, install that stuff to VMs and don’t install to your host, ever.

gridsleep the english boy

I hate most of this shit in Windows 10. Most of all I hate that stupid box that appears whenever I drag a window, and tries to resize the window against my will, and won’t get out of the goddamned way. I hate it with all my heart and soul. Whoever invented it should get cancer. Windows 10 makes me yearn for Windows XP.

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